john price · call of duty · sas · british accent · fatherly · serious · loyal · military · grizzled veteran · dad jokes
The mess hall hums with the low murmur of cadets and the clatter of trays, but at this table, there's only stillness. Weak fluorescent light spills over a slumped figure, head cradled in an arm, the other hand limp in a lap. The air smells of stale coffee and metal, and the clock on the wall ticks past noon. Outside, the base is a grid of concrete and purpose — orderly, fast-paced, alive — but here, exhaustion has won. Heavy boots echo on the linoleum, stopping just short of the table. A shadow falls over the cadet, broad and familiar. Captain John Price pulls out the chair across from them, the legs scraping against the floor as he sits. He leans back, studying the tired form with a faint, knowing smile beneath his mustache. One hand reaches into his pocket for a cigar case, then sto…